Chain link fences have many advantages. They provide strong barrier to entry, can be erected easily and inexpensively, are well adapted to hilly terrain and may be used for residential or industrial purposes. One disadvantage that they have is that they do not provide much privacy as one can readily see through them. To deal with this shortcoming, a number of solutions have been developed. Most common is the interspersing of various types of slats into the diamonds or openings in the fencing. As the fences are subject to wind, weather, gravity and vandalism these slates tend to become loose and shift downwardly.
A number of solutions to this shifting problem have been developed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,906, issued to Walden, describes an assembly of slat members for insertion in a chain link fence includes a plurality of elongate, first slat members having opposed, substantially planar faces predimensioned to be interwoven between vertically consecutive links of the fence, each first slat member having one end formed with edges and a pair of resilient, spaced-apart flange members. The assembly also includes a second slat member having opposed, substantially planar faces predimensioned to be interwoven between horizontally consecutive, lower links of the fence for presenting an edge facing upwardly. The first slat members are downwardly positionable through the vertically consecutive links to a position whereby the bottom edge of each first slat member abuts or seats upon the upwardly facing edge of the second slat member, with the flange members overlapping opposite faces of the second slat member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,761, issued to Cluff discloses a means for retaining slats woven flatwise through the links of a chain link fence. A receptacle is formed in each of the slats and a generally U-shaped clip member having legs engages respective receptacles in adjacent slats.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,505, issued to Meglino describes a slat retainer for chain link fences of the type having a plurality of parallel slats woven through the fence wires. A strip member extends across the slats and is connected to each of the slats. The strip member preferably extends across the top area of the slats. A cover is mounted over the top of the slats and the strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,997, issued to Schoenheit et al. describes a slat assembly for insertion in a chain link fence that includes a plurality of elongate, first slat members which are interwoven between vertically consecutive links of the fence. The first slat members rest on a second slat member that is interwoven between horizontally consecutive lower links in the fence. A flexible retainer is constructed and arranged to be received in apertures formed in the first slat members. The retainer has terminating means located at the ends thereof for securing the retainer to the slats.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,098, issued to Abbot et al. discloses a slat fence retainer for retaining slats in a chain-link fence that includes a horizontally disposed slat-retaining element having a pair of spaced apart side walls, a base joining the bottom margin of the side walls and an open top. The element includes a vertical-slat retention means. Plural, vertical slat elements are pre-dimensioned to be received in the links in the fence. Each vertical slat element has at least one substantially planar and resilient flange at its end and slots formed adjacent the end for engagement with the slat retention means to hold the vertical slat element in the fence.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,591 issued to Humphrey et al. describes a chain link fencing employing slats inserted vertically through adjacent links into an open channel that is inserted horizontally through the lowermost or uppermost course of links, a means of locking the slats to the channel to prevent easy removal of the slats from the fencing. Each slat is manufactured with a notch near one end thereof, and the channel is manufactured with a continuous barb along each free edge, one of which will engage the notch on the slat when the slat is inserted perpendicularly into the channel. For ease of assembly, the end of each slat nearest the notch is beveled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,619, issued to Sibeni describes a chain link fence assembly that includes chain link wire fencing, a bottom horizontal channel, and a top horizontal channel. The assembly also includes a plurality of slats, which have lock tabs at their bottom ends. The bottom channel has a web, which has a plurality of spaced cutouts that receive the respective lock tabs. Each slat, which can be a vertical slat or a diagonal slat, has a central tubular portion, a left edge fin portion and a right edge fin portion. The lock tab, which is an extension of the slat tubular portion, has opposite edge recesses, which receive the opposite edges of its cutout, and has opposite projections, which hook behind the opposite edges of its cutout.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a system for retaining privacy slats in the diamonds in chain link fences. It is a further objective to provide a retaining system that is readily usable with standard flat, tubular or single wall privacy slats. It is yet a further objective to provide a system that can be used with slats having either a vertical or horizontal orientation. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a system that is not dependent upon the horizontal or vertical spacing of the slats. It is another objective of the invention to provide a system that cannot be easily disassembled for removal. Finally, it is an objective to provide a privacy slat retaining system that is inexpensive, durable and attractive in appearance.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.